Rhubarb, that early rising perennial that you can completely ignore and know it will keep coming back in garden zones 3 to 8. With such a prolific producer, the more ways to preserve and use rhubarb you know the better!
Rhubarb is so tart, it is usually mixed with berries and/ or lots of sugar and used in desserts, but it really has so many more uses! Harvest and you’ll have enough rhubarb to preserve it for the whole year.
Rhubarb Season
Rhubarb is a perennial plant which means it comes back year after year. The season for it is early to mid-spring through early summer. In the US, rhubarb season is usually around April through July. It is however, often grown as an annual in warmer climates (warmer than zone 8). Learn more about growing, caring for, and harvesting rhubarb with our guide!
The season is short, but rhubarb plants are prolific which makes them great for preserving. You can also eat rhubarb fresh as part of your seasonal eating menu.
Where to Buy Rhubarb
You can buy rhubarb at the Farmer’s market if it grows in your area. Rhubarb can also be found in the produce section of some grocery stores.
Don’t be afraid to buy stems with a green tinge to them. Different varieties of rhubarb will have different shades of red. Look for stems that are around 3/4″ in diameter and at least 7″ long.
If you can’t find fresh rhubarb you might be able to find frozen rhubarb in the frozen section of the grocery store.
Eating Raw Rhubarb
Yes, you can even eat rhubarb raw….just remember that it’s quite tart. However, dipped in sugar or another sweetener it makes a tasty snack.
When people talk about eating rhubarb they are talking about eating just the rib or stem of the rhubarb plant. Not the green leaf. The leaves are toxic and can cause all kinds of trouble for you. You can learn about the toxicity of rhubarb leaves in the article from Oregon State University. The leaves can be added to your compost.
How to Prepare Rhubarb for Preserving
Here’s how to prepare rhubarb for eating…
- Remove the green leafy part from the stem and discard (do not feed this to chickens or other livestock. Compost instead)
- Cut the end of stems off and compost them
- Remove any brown spots or tough strings with a vegetable peeler or knife
- Rinse the rhubarb stalks in cold water
- Slice the stalks crosswise into 1-2″ sections. Rhubarb cooks down quite a bit so usually isn’t cut into super small pieces
Ways to Preserve and Use Rhubarb
Rhubarb Jam and Butter
While straight Rhubarb Jam is delicious, there are so many more varieties to make! How about out this delicious Low Sugar Balsamic Strawberry Rhubarb Jam!
You can always straight can your rhubarb for future use too. As always, make sure to use safe canning procedures.
[mailerlite_form form_id=8]Rhubarb Syrup
A Rhubarb Simple Syrup is a great way to add flavor to baked goods, yogurt, kombucha, or thicken up a sweetened rhubarb juice to make a syrup for pancakes and waffles!
Rhubarb Sauce
Sweet rhubarb sauces are delicious on ice cream or cheesecake, but how about this Spicy Rhubarb Sauce? Add it to your oatmeal or even in a barbecue sauce! Be sure to add a Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce to your summer pantry too!
Rhubarb Juice
There are a couple methods of making “rhubarb juice.” One is to boil pieces of rhubarb in water with some sugar to extract the flavor and to sweeten it. Another is to simply put it through a juicer in 4 to 5 inch long pieces. Due to its fibrous nature, you’ll have to clean out the juicer blades after four or five stalks. Cutting rhubarb into 1-inch pieces and then freezing it first will give you more yield when you then put it through a juicer. This makes a very tasty lemonade!
Rhubarb Wine
Delve into the world of homemade wine and you’ll always have a well-stocked wine cellar (cause we know we all want one of those!) It may take some time, but this sweet fruity wine is well worth it.
Fermented Rhubarb
Fermenting food has been a preservation method around the world for years, and people are again realizing it’s amazing gut health benefits. Add Fermented Rhubarb to that list and you can eat it right from the jar or make a probiotic lemonade with it!
Rhubarb Ice Cream
Rhubarb Ice Cream. Need I say more? Yum!
Freezing Rhubarb
Freezing rhubarb is one of the easiest ways to preserve it. Rhubarb can be frozen raw or blanched. Because of it’s tart flavor, it can also be frozen with simple syrup. Here are step by step instructions for freezing rhubarb.
You can also use a vacuum sealer to freeze rhubarb, which will keep it fresher than using Ziplock bags.
Use frozen rhubarb within a year.
Thaw later to make rhubarb custard pie, rhubarb crisp, muffins, juice, and more. Some people prefer to blanch it for one minute in boiling water to help preserve the color and then freeze it.
Canning Rhubarb
Canning rhubarb is extremely easy. Make a Stewed Rhubarb and can it up to enjoy during the cold winters.
I LOVE rhubarb and I am so excited to make rhubarb syrup. I never thought of this but I love the idea. I always have more than we can eat.
Can this be made using a sugar substitute to make it diabetic friendly?
You can often use Splenda in canning recipes if that’s what you’re seeking: https://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_general.html
When using frozen rhubarb should I put it in a strainer or
thaw it in a bowl using all the juices? Then when making a pie add extra flour?
If it ends up with a lot of liquid, I would set some of it aside and definitely try adding a bit of flour. Personally, I love adding rhubarb juice to my lemonade!
This is my third year growing rhubarb,love the plant. I read the information on harvesting it and am wondering how thin can it be to harvest? I have stalks that are 12-14 inches long but only as wide as a drinking straw, should I harvest these or leave them
Are they completely red? For me it would depend on what they’re being used for. Canning, cooking down, sure- you’ll just need more. For pies and such, I prefer to use at least 1” thick stalks.